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''The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war,no matter how justified,shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation'' --George Washington--

Friday, 2 August 2013

Ministry of Defence developed laser weaponry to dazzle low-flying Argentinian pilots during the Falklands War

Britain sent a laser weapon to the Falklands to 'dazzle' low-flying Argentine pilots as they attacked Royal Navy ships, secret government papers revealed today.
The secret device was developed quickly and secretly but was never used in action during the 1982 conflict.
Its existence was revealed a year later to Margaret Thatcher in a January 1983 letter, marked 'Top Secret and UK Eyes A,' from Michael Heseltine.Mr Heseltine wrote: 'We developed and deployed with very great urgency a naval laser weapon, designed to dazzle low flying Argentine pilots attacking ships, to the Task Force in the South Atlantic. This weapon was not used in action and knowledge of it has been kept to a very restricted level.'
His briefing on military capabilities also touches on the laser weapon research and development programmes called Raker and Shingle which were 'proceeding at high priority,' according to the papers.
He claims the Soviet Union could field laser weapons by the mid-1980s but it was uncertain whether owning such offensive laser weapons was useful.
By the end of 1979 British interests were in using medium power laser directed against relatively softer targets such as eyes, optic and electro-optic sensors.
His note said: 'the Russians could be in a position to field such weapons by the mid-1980s (in fact, the Russians may already have deployed a laser weapon on the cruiser Kirov)'. Read More HERE

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RIP Mickey Quinn

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Those that have never experienced War will always think War a good idea,
Tony McNally

The Royal Artillery Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who dost everywhere lead
thy people in the way of righteousness, Vouchsafe so as to lead the
Royal Regiment of Artillery, That wherever we serve, on land or sea or in
the air, We may win the glory of doing thy will Amen.

A quarter of homeless people are ex-services and 5,000 former service personnel are in prison.

The Red Poppy Company.

Did you know that each year an average of ten Falklands veterans commit suicide, this means that more soldiers have killed themselves since the end of that war than the fewer than two hundred and fifty eight who died during it.

(Source: Times cover story 12/11/02)

A "tsunami" of mental health problems resulting from the war in Iraq is "headed our way," - -

Ex-servicemen make up a quarter of homeless people in Britain, according to Shelter and the government's social exclusion unit.